If you only see four shows at Bridgetown, honestly you are hardly trying at all

My hobo\’s bindle is stuffed with magic beans, phone/laptop chargers, and press credentials. This time tomorrow I fully expect my face to hurt from laughing at day 1 of theÂ Bridgetown Comedy Festival. Anything less would reflect either abject failure on festival’s end, or mine. Neither is likely. Perish the thought. CultureMob will be on the scene for the second year running, with reviews, photos, interactions with the comics. What you will get will be part anthropological study, part fanboy gigglings, all cop.

Gallagher was just added to the lineup. (I know, right?) Bring a plastic poncho. He will be on Greg Behrendt\’s â€˜Walking the Room\’ on Saturday. That may be a show to not miss. Personally I\’d love to see Gallagher and Todd Glass have a little back and forth.

I expect you\’d like a little rundown of what not to miss: the short answer is everything…Can\’t do that? Okay. There will be conflicts; this is not a perfect plan, but one born of good intentions. You\’re going to want as much Dana Gould as possible. Ditto for Reggie Watts. You\’d be a damn fool to not see Moshe Kasher, Karen Kilgariff, Shane Torres, Derek Sheen, and Kurt Braunohler. All shows bode well. This breeds the problem of decision anxiety. Here\’s a small salve for that rawness. One show for each day that must be attended.

Thursday: Lance Bangs Presents: Come Laugh with Us 10PM, Bagdad Theater. Killer lineup including Moshe Kasher, Karen Kilgariff, Emily Heller, Eliza Skinner, and Howard Kremer. There are many great shows that you should see on the first day, but part of that day should include a great stand-up showcase. This one shouldn\’t disappoint.

Friday: Competitive Erotic Fan Fiction 11PM, Mailchimp Stage at Mt Tabor Theater. This is the most important show of the festival to attend. Lives will change. Get in line early.

Saturday: Hawthorne Lounge Primetime 9PM Hawthorne Theatre Lounge. You\’ll already be going to Kurt Tub, if you\’re smart, Who Charted?, and so many others, but this is the show where you\’ll get to see Todd Glass closing, and Seattle\’s Parker Postyeni as well as New York\’s rising star Dan St Germain sharing a stage.

Sunday: Theme Park 4PM Mt Tabor Theater. Because occasionally long-form improv can get some of this planet\’s problems hashed out in an hour, but mostly because it should be awesome.

Besides these suggestions, spend as much time in the Tanker watching odd failure and moments of drunken victory at the open mic, and make sure you see a show at the Eagles. Four great days begin tomorrow, but only for those with hearts stolen from the middle of stars, and minds open for what should be a very, very good time.